Storm Causes Flight, Transit & Traffic Changes Across Tri-State Area

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A snowy nor’easter slammed the Tri-State Area Wednesday, causing traffic and transit changes, as well as flight cancellations at area airports.

Flights:

While flight activity is continuing at area airports, hundreds of flights have been canceled.

Newark Liberty International Airport has cancelled approximately 717 flights, John F. Kennedy International Airport has cancelled 532 and LaGuardia Airport 708.

As of 9 PM, #EWR has 48 remaining arrivals and 20 departures scheduled until 3 a.m. Additional cancellations are possible as the impact of the #noreaster continues to be felt. Please check with your airline for updated flight status.

Wind conditions at #JFK continue to cause some departure delays. Approximately 160 flights remain scheduled from now until 4 AM, but additional cancellations could occur. Please continue to check with your airline for updated flight status.

As of 8 PM, #LGA has 17 scheduled departures and 51 scheduled arrivals remaining for the evening, but additional cancellations are possible as the impact of the #noreaster continues to be felt. Please check with your airline for updated flight status.

Metro-North service was suspended on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines due to downed trees and other infrastructure issues.

Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Line and Branch service is suspended until further notice due to multiple storm-related infrastructure issues. We do not have an estimate yet for return to service. Please continue to check this page for updates. Thank you for your patience.

Amtrak’s Northeast Regional and Acela Express services are running on a modified schedule on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and Boston. Amtrak’s Keystone Service and Empire Service are also operating on a modified schedule. For more information, click here.

Due to the ongoing winter storm, we will continue to operate a modified schedule in the Northeast tomorrow, Thurs. 3/8. Customers will be contacted for re-accommodation. For those looking to change reservations, change fees will be waived by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. pic.twitter.com/buCAwj4FWR

Some bus carriers using the Port Authority Bus Terminal have also canceled or modified service. For a list of carriers, click here.

Many commuters rushed to catch trains and buses early – leaving around noon instead of five or six, CBS2’s Cindy Hsu reported from Penn Station.

“When the snow started, it started to accumulate right away. I’m actually terrified of the conditions I’m going to find when I get home. So I’m going to rush off to my car and try to clean it off as soon as I can,” Aysha Mirza, of Sewaren, New Jersey, said.

“Fortunately my boss said it was time to go, so I took him up on the offer,” said Anthony Puricelli, of Morganville, New Jersey.

“I got to work late – 45 minutes – so it’s been a long day. I just want to get home,” Edi Bogdanovic, of Chatham, New Jersey, said.

Hsu also found some families that took their kids out of school early.

“We’re going home early, because in Brooklyn it was snowing really hard and I thought the trains would shut down at a certain point,” said Sechita McNair, of Bradley Beach, New Jersey.

Traffic:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued a travel ban on all tractor-trailers, buses, box trucks and other tall vehicles for I-90 just outside Syracuse to Albany and for I-87 from Albany to the Yonkers-Bronx line.

The ban also applies to parts of I-81, I-88, I-84, I-684, I-287, I-95 and Route 17.

A Travel Advisory is issued for all areas east of I-81 as well as a travel ban on tractor trailers on certain roads beginning Wednesday, March 7 at 8am.